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10 places on Earth that resemble alien planets

Mars on Earth

The great successes of the Mars rover missions have made it possible to dream again about exploring other worlds, but the reality is that we're probably generations away from a manned mission to the Red Planet or any large asteroids. Meanwhile, manned visits to other distant bodies, such as the moons of Jupiter or Saturn, are beyond the practical scope of current technology.

The good news for space age aficionados, though, is that there are ways to experience alien landscapes firsthand right here on Earth. NASA and other space agencies around the world have identified several "terrestrial analogues," or places on Earth that closely resemble the landscape of some other known alien world. In other words, with a little imagination you could explore our solar system without going anywhere. Consider this an Earth-bound travel guide to the solar system. (Text: Bryan Nelson)

Mars on Earth

The great successes of the Mars rover missions have made it possible to dream again about exploring other worlds, but the reality is that we're probably generations away from a manned mission to the Red Planet or any large asteroids. Meanwhile, manned visits to other distant bodies, such as the moons of Jupiter or Saturn, are beyond the practical scope of current technology.

The good news for space age aficionados, though, is that there are ways to experience alien landscapes firsthand right here on Earth. NASA and other space agencies around the world have identified several "terrestrial analogues," or places on Earth that closely resemble the landscape of some other known alien world. In other words, with a little imagination you could explore our solar system without going anywhere. Consider this an Earth-bound travel guide to the solar system. (Text: Bryan Nelson)